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By Mor Mbaye Cissé
Senegal’s National Division for the Fight against Migrant Trafficking (DNLT) has referred five suspected smugglers to the Financial Prosecutor’s Office in connection with a failed attempt at irregular migration to Spain.
This follows an operation that saw the Senegalese Navy intercept 124 migrants at sea on 13th October, 2025, who were handed over to the DNLT.
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According to Senegalese media reports, the intercepted migrants include 85 Gambians, 14 Senegalese, eight Guineans, one Bissau-Guinean, and 16 Malians. Of these, 11 were women and 17 minors of nine boys and eight girls.
The boat set sail from Barra on 13th October at 3am and less than ten hours later, around noon on 13th October, it was intercepted by the Senegalese navy approximately 50 nautical miles off the Gambian coast.
Investigations identified five captains among the passengers, recruited specifically to sail the canoe to Spain. They are Yusupha Faye, Mamadou Faye, Musa Joof, Seydina Alieu Nyang, and Arfang Ngum.
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They were said to have admitted to the charges preferred against them. The captains reportedly also named three individuals as the organisers of this migrant trafficking network.
The Senegalese police said they have not yet been able to arrest the three suspects. However, investigations are actively continuing.
The five captains made their initial appearance before the public prosecutor on Thursday morning.
